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13 Sep Caution

Caution!

But let’s recognize that the House Finch is a skilled professional who has spent its entire career studying the art of eating fruit while standing on a cactus.

If you decide to try this, I recommend using caution.

Being stuck by spines (Ouch) or falling off (Double ouch) are notable risks.

If you want to eat cactus fruit, I recommend buying it in stores. That’s safer and easier.

On a serious note, this illustrates how well birds adapt to their environment. House Finches are almost entirely vegetarian. You can tell because they have strong bills that are well suited for opening seeds and cutting fruit. (They will catch a few insects for their nestlings to provide protein.)

So this female has found a way to feed on a yummy fruit, even if this requires standing on a cactus without being stuck by the spines.